classical music

Guitar is the most internationalized music instrument. It makes a sound that fits well with every language, every culture, and everybody fall in love with acoustic guitar playing. There are so many classical guitarists you have to listen to, in order to understand what we are talking about. Let us go through different countries.

Mauro Giuliani

Mauro Giuliani was an Italian, born in the 19th century. As a well-known virtuous on the guitar, he had concert tours all over Europe. He loved playing Rossini or Beethoven. While still a teenager, he moved with his brother to Vienna, Austria. It is where his international career had started. In 1808, he was the first one to make a guitar
concert with full orchestra accompanying him. He was also famous for performing in the botanical gardens of the Schonbrunn Palace as the official artist for the Imperial celebrations.

Napoléon Coste

He was one of the most famous French virtuous on the guitar. He is one of the first composers that played music of the 17th century in a modern way. He was taught to play by his mother, but with the age of 24, he moved to
Paris and became widely known. His master was Fernando Sor, with whom he played in duet for many times.

Johann Kaspar Mertz

A Hungarian guitarist and composer became famous for his unusual right hand technique. His music usually followed Romantic styles of piano like Chopin, Mendelssohn or Schubert. He suffered from an illness in the neurological system and had to use strong medicines. Before the end of his life he managed to get better and perform together with his wife, for the Imperial Family in Salzburg. He became famous worldwide only after his death. Here is some of his music.

Francisco Tarrega

A true magician on the guitar, Francisco Tarrega makes a foundation for the 20th century and we can thank him for the increased interest in this instrument all over the world. He transcribed and composed many works, including
the tone you have definitely heard for a million times – the Nokia ringtone. He was born in Spain, with his dad a guitar player, but also teaching him to play the piano. While he was still young, he began to lose his eyesight, due to an infection. After many disputes with his family, he ran away and started playing in cafés in Barcelona. By the age of 22 he became famous with the help of a wealthy merchant, Antonio Canesa.

Xuefei Yang

And to finish our list with a female guitar player. Xuefei Yang was born in Beijing, China, being the first woman guitar player with an international career. With a soft, sensitive style of playing the guitar, with her favorite interpretations of Spanish music, she graduated at the Central Conservatory of Music in Beijing. Her role model is John Williams and she even recorded remakes of some of his famous interpretations. Today she is a worldwide known guitar player, playing at places such as Lincoln Center, and she likes to be called Fey. She likes to change guitars all the time, depending on the sound she wants to produce. Her favorite is the Smallman, but she also uses a Ramirez for playing Spanish music and a Fleta for deep waltzes.

Classical guitar technique starts with fingernail care. The most important part of nail care — before even finding the correct shape of nails for the right hand — is consistency. Technique is also about consistency: movement patterns must be consistent and consistently drilled in exercises and in real music. Those movement patterns will never be […]

This video is courtesy of Tonebase, a new platform for learning classical guitar with video lessons from virtuoso performer like Pepe Romero, Elliot Fisk, Aniello Desiderio, and many more. If it sounds right and feels bad, it’s dangerous. – Pepe Romero In this video Pepe Romero talks a bit about exercises and the various gymnastic […]

The was held at UT Dallas March 1 – 3, 2018. The competition itself had some required works by Ponce and Castelnuovo-Tedesco as well as some free choice programming. International Concert Guitarist Category First Place: Second Place: Third Place: and (tied for third) Youth Division II (ages 15-18) First Place: Sean McCrary Second Place: Eliza […]

The 2018 was held February 24th and 25th. There were three divisions each with a free choice program. Division I (College & Professional, No Age Limit) First Place: Ying Xu Second Place: Agustin Rosado Third Place: Fourth Place: Division II (Grades 9-12) First Place: Mia Padilla Second Place: Zhengzhi Zheng Third Place: Preston Anastas Division […]

In this video talks about how he uses the as a vehicle to practice shifting. Jason also talks a bit about looking at where you’re going rather than trying to follow your hands as they move and using different tempos and rhythms to help reinforce the shifts. Jason Vieaux on the Segovia Scales from Classical […]

Earlier today, GFA president Martha Masters sent out an email asking for some help. Dear GFA Members, In the past six months, GFA has begun dialogues with five school districts in Southern California about adding guitar programs throughout the district. These dialogues have all originated from personal connections with Superintendents, members of the Board of […]